Corruption fighting campaign in Syria promises great changes
Syria, Politics, 5/12/2000

Damascus has escalated its campaign against corruption, alongside with continued preparations to convene the 7th congress of the Baath party on June 17.

Political diplomatic sources said on Thursday that the expulsion of former Prime Minister Mahmoud al-Zou'bi from the Baath Party leadership and bringing him to court after he is accused of grafts is considered part of the campaign which is expected to reveal the number of persons who had misused the authority in order to attain personal gains at the expense of the people and the state.

In this respect, the state-run Arabic daily Tishreen said that the current Prime Minister Muhammad Mustafa Miro released a decision provided for expelling Mahmoud Ade, the first group director from Aleppo custom, the highest grade at the directorate of custom in the city.

The Syrian News Agency (SANA) said that the prime minister released a decision to expel Ismael Kamel, who works as a chief of a group at the secret office at the Damascus custom directorate " for confiscating hand-watches from public shops under pretexts that these watches are smuggled as well as for using his post for attaining personal interests at the expense of citizens." Worthy mentioning the secret office at the custom department is in charge of following up customs violations.

Meantime, well-informed sources have expected that the measures taken by the Baath Party leadership on Wednesday will target " other officials involved in the grafts," in which former Prime Minister al-Zou'bi was involved in. The sources added that these measures might result in " expelling" may of those officials from the party on the eve of convening the 9th conference which will be held on May 17.

The sources explained that bringing al-Zou'bi before the court means to inform the chairman of the "Economic security court" officially to notify for " seizing transferred or non-transferred sums registered in his name (al-Zou'bi), and the names of his wife and children and preventing them from travel until the trial is finished."

Previous Stories:
  Former Syrian premier being investigated   (5/11/2000)
  On the new Syrian government   (3/16/2000)
  On the new Syrian government   (3/8/2000)

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